Do Broken Hearts Find Their Way Home?
by xxloves-suicidexx
Summary: Aurora Potter is Harry and Hermione's daughter. She's seventeen, rebellious, and hates her father with a passion. Hermione and Rory live by themselves, and Harry's fallen in love with his old Hogwarts girlfriend. I'm bad at summaries. :]
1. Little Miss Potter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, Hogwarts, or anything to do with the wonderful world that J.K. Rowling created. :

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"Aurora Alexandra Potter, you get yourself down here this instant!" 

Such a pleasant sound to wake up to in the morning, isn't it? Mother dearest always wakes me up in some uncivilized way. I mean, I can't help it if I'm a sound sleeper!

I suppose I should start off from the very beginning. Although I can assure you that I won't go into any details about my wonderful birth, because even that makes me want to throw up. I don't see anything wondrous about popping a child out of you. I'm getting off topic though. My name, as you probably could have guessed, is Aurora Potter. Rory for short, and if you mention the Potter part, I'll murder you. I'm seventeen years old, and I totally hate life. Ah, how melodramatic, right? Well, if you knew half of my history, you'd understand. Hermione control-freak Granger, is my mother. My dearest mother whom I love so very much. And of course, Harry Potter is my father. Although I'd deny it if someone asked me in public. The publicity isn't fun, contrary to popular belief.

"Aurora! Don't make me drag you out of your bed young lady!"

Okay, before my mother has a total conniption, we'll just fast forward to the present. Don't worry, I'll fill you in with all the juicy details when I feel it's appropriate.

"Rory! Honey, come on. Please come downstairs!"

Ah, the pleading voice of Ms. Granger. It never gets old. In fact, I wait for it until I oblige to do whatever ridiculous thing she asks of me.

"We're going to be late for one of Molly's dinners!"

That's why her undies were all in a bundle. Molly Weasley's annual dinners. Once a month, Molly forced her family, and us to come to a dinner at her house. Usually I got out of it, but this time Harry would be there. Poor me. Harry and my mother, the two best friends while attending Wizarding School, were no longer on speaking terms. I think it's bloody brilliant, personally, but everyone else thinks that it is a crying shame.

"I'm awake." I replied in my early morning raspy voice. One thing that you had to know about Molly. You couldn't just go there for dinner, like planned. No, you had to spend the whole day with her. Don't get me wrong now. Molly is like the grandmother that I never had. You know, the one that always cooks, cleans, frets, and constantly looks after you. I love her for it. I really do! Sometimes she just gets a tad bit annoying. That's why, on this marvelous July day, I'd much rather be spending bonding time in my bed, rather then with the Weasleys.

"Don't fall back asleep, Rory!" I didn't think that this caused for a remark, so I simply rolled my eyes, and shook my head. A groan escaped from me as I saw that straight raven black hair fall in my eyes. Of all the things to get cursed with, it was my father's looks. Oh right! I almost forgot to tell you why Harry Potter is my worst enemy. Well, you see, it started when my parents were supposed to be in their seventh year at Hogwarts. Instead, however, they went on some insane search for Horcruxes, or something like that. Apparently my father and mother had sex, and therefore I came to exist. So basically I was a huge mistake. Since then, my father and I don't get along. He never shows up when he's supposed to, and he is the most unreliable person in the whole wide world.

Climbing out of my bed, with a pout on my face, I walked over to my closet, and opened the door. For a girl of seventeen, I didn't have much enthusiasm about clothes. I suppose I took on my mother's aspect on fashion. Thank Merlin I had my mother's personality. No, I'm not some mean snotty know-it-all, but I am rather smart. Therefore, I am a Ravenclaw. That was probably the biggest disappointment of my father's pathetic life. Score for Rory! You should have seen the crest fallen look on his face when he found out that his only daughter didn't make it into his house. Aww, poor Harry. He makes me sick.

Deciding on wearing black pants, and a white shirt, I made my way over to my makeup draw. My mother always told me to look nice on these trips to the Burrow. Under any other conditions, I would have protested, and dug out a pair of old, ripped jeans, and a tee-shirt that would be five sizes to big for her. Today was different. Harry would be there, and I knew that mum had enough on her plate. Dealing with a rebellious seventeen year old would not put her in a better mood.

Without another though, I took the lid off of my eyeliner, and applied it skillfully on my eyelid. You see, I always layered it on there. I figure that it'll make my eyes look less green. Is that pathetic? I continued pouring it on, until I was satisfied that the attention wouldn't be on what color eyes I had, but rather what the heck I was thinking by putting on so much eyeliner. I was a carbon copy of my father. A mini Harry, if you will. It's so embarrassing to be known as The Boy Who Lived's daughter. Really, if I had this choice when I was first born, I think I'd rather pick death then live in the public's eye. Every move I make, some reporter has to pick up on it. I suppose that some people have nothing better to do then read about the woes of Harry Potter's daughter. They need to get lives, if you ask me.

"Rory! I'm begging you here! We need to leave! Don't forget that we have to travel by Floo! If you remember right, someone didn't pass their Apparation test!"

And I would never live that down. It wasn't my fault I had the meanest instructor in the world! I left a shoe behind, and I failed. See how unfair that is? I never had the guts to go back since. I'm Rory! I don't fail things. I'm the one who got all O's on her O.W.L.'s, thank you very much! I don't fail anything, especially simple Apparation tests.

"Fine! I'm coming!" I replied, in a mood that showed I wasn't enthusiastic about leaving any time soon.

With my pout still in check, I stomped down the stairs, and walked into the living room, where my mother was already standing half way in the fireplace.

"Must you pout like a spoiled three year old? Come along now. Take some powder! We haven't got all day."

Of course she'd come out and say something like that. If I was the one acting like a three year old, then why was she the one who kept fretting about seeing Harry? Honestly, that woman confused me sometimes. I hoped I'd never turn out like her.

Sending her a glare, I grabbed some powder, and was about to say 'The Burrow', but the phone rang. Now you might think it strange for witches to have a phone, but my mother always brought muggle appliances into the house. Carefully, I sent my mother a grin, and placed the powder back in the bag where I had taken it out of.

"Now it would be rude not to answer the phone, wouldn't it?" I asked her, a look of complete innocence gracing my face.

"Oh dear. Make it quick, okay?"

"Of course." And with that, I pranced out of the fireplace and picked up the phone, more then welcoming the phone call.

"Hello?" I giggled softly as I heard my best friend on the other line. Hayden Wood , son of Oliver Wood, and Cho Chang. Let's call it revenge, shall we? The first time I met him, I admit that my goal was to befriend him, only because my father loathed his mother. But I actually started liking him as a friend, and we've been the best of friends since our first year. He, obviously, had a phone also. I think I convinced him to get one in our third year, when I told him I was going to die without human contact, when I had to spend the whole week with my father.

"Rory!"

At the hint of exasperation in my mother's voice, I held a finger out to her, and mouthed 'one minute'. I sent her a small apologetic smile, realizing that my phone call would probably cause us to arrive at the Burrow last. I knew how much she hated to arrive someplace last, especially when attention would be on her. Especially Harry's attention.

"Not yet. No. I'm leaving now." I paused for a minute, and I rolled my eyes at him, even though he couldn't see it. "If you don't call me within an hour, Hayden, then I'm going to kill you. I won't be able to survive in a room with my father for more then twenty minutes!" Boy was that true.

"Aurora!" I noticed my mother stomp her foot, and couldn't help but smirk at the little notion. She could be as much of child as I could.

"Promise you'll call me?" I waited for Hayden's reply, and smiled as he gave in to my plea. "Thank you. I have to go before my mother explodes." With that I hung up my cell phone, and placed it in my pocket.

Stepping back into the fireplace, I took the powder, and dropped it as I said "The Burrow", in a clear voice.


	2. Awkward Conversations

Closing my eyes, I waited until the familiar swishing sound around me stopped. Taking a deep breath to regain my composure, I stepped out of the fireplace in the Weasley's living room, and waited for my mother. It seemed like everyone was in the yard out back, which was a good sign. It was a lot easier to become distracted when you were outside with birds and such to distract you.

I watched with a bit of amusement as my disheveled mother came tumbling out of the fireplace. I could tell she was nervous. Every time she was meeting Harry she was nervous. I've dealt with it since I was two years old. Frankly I believed that my mother would have done a lot better if Ron had been the one who knocked her up. Perhaps then we'd all have the family that she always dreamed of. With a shake of my head, I rid myself of that thought. Today I had to be strong for my mother. I didn't have a choice. Whether I was a stubborn brat or not, the truth was that I was just slightly protective of my mother. You would have been too if she had been through everything that my mother had.

"Ready?" I asked her, extending my arm in her direction.

"Not really." She replied a bit shakily, taking my arm anyways. I noticed her sending me a small nod of appreciation, and I beamed at her, trying to lighten the mood a tad. "At least we won't have to deal with him for another three months!"

"Aurora Alexandra! He's your father!" She hissed at me, sending me a death glare. Honestly, who could keep up with those mood swings of hers? One minute she was clutching onto me as if I were her life support, and the next she has reprimanding me for talking poorly about the man who caused her to become such a wreck! Completely mental, she was.

"Unfortunately." I muttered inaudibly under my breath as we made our way onto the small patio that was packed with all the Weasleys.

"Hermione, dear!" Hearing Molly's voice, I instantly let go of my mother's arm, and started to edge away. I noticed her pulling my mother into one of her bear hugs, before I took a seat next to Alex and Cecilia. The two were the only other Weasley grandchildren that attended Hogwarts. They were Bill and Fleur's oldest twins. Alex had inherited his father's free spirit, while Cecilia inherited the veela charm. The two were sixth years, only one year below me, so we got along pretty well. The only other grandchildren were Charlie's three month old baby, and Percy's unborn son, which didn't count, if you were being technical.

"Hey guys." I said softly, still trying to dodge Molly's searching eyes.

"Hey." They replied in unison. I had to hide my smirk as they both looked at each other in disgust. It was amusing to sit there and watch them. They said things at the same time, and then blamed the other for reading their mind. They were loveable, to put it plainly.

"What have you two been up to?" I asked in my desperate attempt to make conversation with the two before I was noticed.

"Nothing really." Alex replied shrugging his shoulders. "Just hangin' out." He got up and made his way over to a table with drinks on it, as Cecilia slid closer to me.

"Harry's here." She whispered softly, looking down at her hands.

"Yeah… I know."

"He's looking at you."

"That's nice."

"He's getting out of his seat, Rory. That means he's going to come over here and attempt some type of conversation with you."

I don't think I'd ever love someone as a sister as much as Cecilia. She was the one who saved my ass all the time when conversations got weirdly out of hand between my father and I. One time she had even taken a fall off a broom, just to turn the attention away from Harry and I. Now that was loyalty.

"Thanks for the head's up." I said, glaring as I watched Harry make his way over to where I was sitting.

"I'm taking this as my cue to leave. If you need me, then…" Cecilia frowned a bit, and tilted her head. "Itch your nose. I'll come over right away and save you from Satan."

"Thanks."

I watched with regret as Cecilia walked away, leaving me all alone to talk with my father. Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad idea. The last time we were left alone to talk had been on my sixteenth birthday. He had walked in on me and Hayden, hugging. Our love was purely platonic, you have to understand that. Hayden was simply giving me a birthday hug, and Harry started flipping out. The scene wasn't pretty, and it resulted in me trying to hex him.

"Hello Aurora." His voice repulsed me. The way he said Aurora, like it was some kind of chore to get it out of his mouth. Like I'm some kind of task or something. If you heard it, you'd understand.

"Hi." I replied stiffly, not daring to look at him in case I said something I'd regret. Knowing me I'd do just that. Except I probably wouldn't regret it much.

Taking a seat next to me, Harry made himself feel more then welcome to put his hand around my shoulder. What privilege did he think he had to touch me? I hadn't talked to him in more then a year, and here he was showing public displays of affection for me? I think not.

"Mind taking your arm off of me?" My face showed that I was obviously not pleased at his gesture. He obliged, and even blushed a bit, much to my pleasure.

"So… er… Any plans for the rest of vacation?"

"No."

"That's nice."

"Whatever."

"How have you been?"

"Like you care."

"You know I do. How's your mother been?"

"Perfectly fine."

"That's good."

Didn't he understand that my main motive was to make him stop talking to me? Merlin was he annoying. Guys were perfectly clueless, and Harry was no exception. That much, I think, had already been proved, when he left my pregnant mother at the alter on their wedding day. Yes, let me tell you briefly of my parent's past. When the last battle was over, my mother and father slept together. The thought alone makes my insides squirm. The following month, my mother realized she was pregnant. For awhile she had insisted that it was just the flu, but when she was late for her time of the month, she knew something was up. So, Harry, being the gentleman I suppose he once was, asked my mother to take his hand in marriage. Hermione was more then willing to, and for five months, the happily engaged couple planned their wedding and my birth. Apparently somewhere along the line, my father got cold feet, insisting that they shouldn't have rushed into the marriage. My mother never picked up on the signs, so they continued on with the wedding. However, that morning, my mother walked down the aisle, with Grandpa Granger, only to see Harry's retreating form, making a mad dash away from the ceremony. He's such a sweetheart, isn't he? From what I understand, he never apologized for that day. In fact, he hadn't even contacted her until my second birthday. My mother was not a happy camper.

Feeling the awkward silence between Harry and I, I brought my hand to my nose, and itched it, staring at Cecilia as I did so. She caught on, thankfully, and grabbed Uncle Ron's hand, although he wasn't my biological uncle. Dragging him over to me, she quickly exchanged my father for Uncle Ron, grabbing Harry's sleeve, and forcing Ron to sit next to me.

"Harry! I have to talk to you about something!" Cecilia said urgently, a dramatic expression plastered onto her face. "I keep having these nightmares…" With that I stopped listening. Merlin, Cecilia was good. Even I wouldn't have been able to react that fast.

With admiration, I smiled at Cecilia, before I heard Ron clear his voice.

"Erm, did you, did you want something?" He asked rather awkwardly.

"What?" I almost forgot he was sitting next to me. "Oh, right… Well…" What was I going to say? I couldn't very well shut my mouth and sit in silence. My mind started thinking of something to say. "You see, I like this boy, and I don't think he likes me." I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Oh." Was Ron's quiet reply. I had all I could do not to burst out laughing when his ears turned a pleasant shade of red. See? Ron and my mother would have been perfect together. I liked him a heck of a lot more then Harry. "Shouldn't you talk to your mother about this?"

"No!" I spat out, a little to quickly. "I mean, she wouldn't appreciate me fawning over a boy during my last year at Hogwarts. You know her. It's always study, study, study! But how can I study when this boy is occupying my mind all the time?"

At this Ron furrowed his brow, and practically gulped. Poor thing. Why hadn't I made the topic more pleasant? I could tell that he really didn't want to talk about this. "Well…" He began, sounding unsure of himself. "Have you told the boy how you feel?"

I almost laughed in his face. Almost. Thankfully my cell phone rang before my face burst out into a grin.

"No, not yet. Oh, this is him now. Maybe I'll take your advice."

Ew. As if! Like I'd ever tell a boy I liked them. That would be totally wrong. Not to mention that I had made this boy whom I liked up.

Flipping my cell phone open, I answered it with a quick hello, and walked off of the porch. I did, however, notice my father's curious eyes following after me as I continued to talk to Hayden.

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	3. Dinner Talk

After hanging up the phone with Hayden, I rolled my eyes briefly, before dragging myself back to the porch. I silently prayed that I wouldn't have to engage in any more conversations, unless they were with Cecilia or Alex. They never asked me anything awkward or unbearable.

As I was walking over to my previous seat, Molly came outside and clapped her hands together. Of course that got everyone's attention. Actually, that's probably the only way to get the attention of the Weasley clan when they're all together.

"Dinner's ready!" Molly announced in her normal, cheery voice. She began to move her arms frantically, beckoning us all inside the Burrow. I was more than happy to oblige, seeing as it would get me away from my father. All I had to do was take the seat furthest away from him as possible, and everything would be wonderful.

Keeping that thought in mind, I gently pushed myself inside of the house, in front of most of the viciously hungry Weasley boys. I situated myself at the table, in between Fred and George. Those two always put a smile on my face. I know that sounds kind of stupid, but its true. They're always playing those pranks. They're like ten year olds trapped in adult bodies. As Harry walked into the dining room, I was happy to see that he sat at the other end of the table. My mother, however, wasn't exactly thrilled. She was stuck sitting across from him. I noticed with suspicion that Ginny took the seat next to my father. The smile that was on her face, wasn't like her normal ones. Perhaps I wasjust getting a little paranoid, or goinginsane even, but she looked different. When she looked at Harry, it was different. It wasn't like how she looked at her brothers, or her friends. It was a look of longing, almost lust.

Shaking my head, I figured I was just reading too much into this. Who cared if Harry sat next to her? Not me, that's for sure. Nope, I could care less. Who cared if Harry pulled out her chair for her to sit down in? Not me. Who cared if Harry kept sending her those goofy grins? I admit, it was annoying, but it didn't mean anything, right? Ginny wouldn't date Harry Potter after what happened to my mother, now would she? Ginny and her were best friends! Practically sisters, after all those summers they spent sharing the same room! The thought of her with my father was not only disgusting, but highly improbable. Ginny would never hurt my mother like that.

Feeling an abrupt kick from under the table, I looked across from me with a look of surprise on my face. Cecilia and Alex were sitting there, looking at me with nervous expressions. I raised an eyebrow at Cecilia, questioning her silently why she kicked me. Her reply was a simple nod of the head in my mother's direction. Frowning, I followed Cecilia's gaze until my eyes landed on Hermione. If there was ever a time in my whole life when I've seen her mad, this topped it. She was sending daggers at the flirtatious Ginny, and biting her bottom lip in a way that I imagined was considerably hard. You could see a red mark forming on her lipfrom where I was sitting, which was quite a ways away from my mother. But what could I do? There wasn't anything I could say to make her death glares stop. She'd probably be even more furious.

Looking back at the twins, I just shrugged my shoulders, and sighed heavily. Alex shook his head at me and then reached out to grab his goblet filled with pumpkin juice. Before he could take a sip, however, Fleur slapped his hand gently, causing him to place his hand back on his lap. His expression was that of defeat, and he looked up at his mother, as if to question her action.

"'Eet eez not polite to dreenk, until everyone eez seated!" She scolded softly, sending her son a warning look. That's what he got for deciding to sit next to his mother.

Cecilia and I exchanged smirks, before I heard Fred speaking to me.

"Rory, how come you never come 'round the shop anymore?" He asked me, with an eyebrow raised and a feigned expression of hurt on his face.

"Oh, I don't --"

"Yeah, you know, you even get a discount from us!" George chirped, interrupting me rather rudely.

"And we don't give discounts often. Ickle Ronniekins doesn't even get one from us, and he's our own brother." Fred replied, nodding his head in a serious manner.

"We just like you more than him." George finished with a smile.

Smiling up at the two, I tried to think of a decent answer. To be honest, the answer was that I was seventeen years old. I had simply grown out of those childish pranks that they liked to pull. The items they sold didn't interest me anymore. Sure, seeing a good prank once in awhile was fun, and there were about a million people that I would love to pull one on, but it just wasn't mature. How could you explain this to those two though? They didn't know what being mature was all about, obviously, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt their feelings.

"Well, maybe I'll make a trip down there sometime." I doubted it, but it would be better to say this then to have to explain to them that I'm too old for such childish nonsense. In their world, no one was ever to old for it.

"Good." Fred replied, sending me his trademark grin filled with mischief.

"Mum, would you mind hurrying up a bit?" Percy asked, looking at his watch quickly. He glanced up at his mother, and then to his wife, looking slightly frantic.

"Oh Percy, don't worry." Penelope, Percy's wifeof three years, replied, taking his hand in her own and caressing it.

"Why are you always in such a hurry?" Molly screeched back, taking hold of a pot and ladle, and walking over to the table where everyone was sitting.

"Penelope has a doctor's appointment today." He replied, almost giddily, squeezing his wife's hand slightly as he finished his sentence. "We're going to find out the sex of our child."

"Oh! That's wonderful, dear." Molly sent Penelope and Percy a happy smile, and resumed her ladling of soup into the bowls.

As abruptly as Percy's outburst, Harry stood up from the table and cleared his throat. In a heartbeat, everyone's attention was on him. "Mrs. Weasley, before you serve dinner, I'd like…" At this Ginny cleared her throat, and stood up next to him. I did not like the way this was going. Not one bit. Harry laced his fingers through hers, and the two held hands for a minute, before continuing. "We'd like…" He corrected himself, sending Ginny a loving smile. "To make an announcement." He paused, and I swore it was just for dramatic affect.

"Go on then!" Ron urged, a look of anticipation planted on his face.

"Ginny and I, we are, um…" He started, a blush rising up to cover his face.

"We're engaged!" Ginny squealed with glee, holding up their hands, and showing everyone the engagement ring.

Instead of the normal Weasley hugs that were issued during a time like this, everyone was silent. Except for my mother and I. Both of us, at the same time, spit out our pumpkin juice all over the table, and started coughing.

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	4. Ginny Potter? I think not

Molly recovered from the incident first, shaking her head and pulling her daughter and Harry into a hug. "Congratulations!" She said half heartedly, trying to put on a fake smile for them. It was her daughter, after all. Molly, along with the rest of the Weasleys, had been trying to get Harry and Hermione back together for years. With Ginny engaged to Harry, well it just complicated things.

"Isn't that wonderful Arthur?" Molly asked, sending her husband a small glare. He quickly nodded his head, and grinned at his daughter and Harry.

"I believe a toast is in order!" Bill exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and raising his goblet of pumpkin juice. Was he insane? I shot up from my chair, knocking it over on the way. That only resulted in everyone's heads turning in my direction. I was fuming inside. That backstabbing bitch! She was supposed to be my mother's best friend! Best friends do not steal their other best friend's child's father! I mean, that's just common sense right there! Who the hell did she think she was anyways? Standing there, grinning around the room exuberantly! Oh no, this was war. No one messes with my family, especially my mother, and gets away with it. And I'd be damned if this red headed idiot would get away with this.

Chancing a glance at my mother, I noticed that she had tears welling up in her eyes. At least the attention was on me, and not my mother. The last thing she needed was people staring at her as she was about to cry. So, I decided to make a scene. Oh, but wouldn't you choose to also?

"Toast? A toast!" I asked throwing my hands in the air. "Are you out of your mind!" I screamed ready to pounce on poor Bill.

"Uh…" He didn't exactly know what to say, so he shut his mouth and sat down. Well, at least he didn't go through with the toast.

Groaning, I crossed my arms across my chest, and backed away from the table, my eyes staring at the empty plate while I tried to calm myself down. Guess what? It wasn't working too well. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and counted to five. Hayden always told me to do that when I got angry. My temper was ten times worse then that Weasley one I always heard about. No one wanted to see me when I was pushed over the edge. Which, a few lucky people were going to witness right now. Biting down on my lip, I still felt everyone's eyes on me. They were staring holes through me and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.

Before I opened my eyes, however, I heard a sound of another chair screeching on the cold wood floor. Slowly, I fluttered one eye open, and a small smile tugged on my lips, despite the anger that was still boiling inside of me. Cecilia had stood up too, and was standing like I was: arms crossed, and eyes staring at the table.

"You know what? This sucks!" Cecilia said, surprising everyone with her outburst. No, she usually let me do the talking when things weren't looking so well. Of course she'd be right by my side, helping me whenever it was necessary, but she had never actually spoken out before. Those words rung in my ears, and I couldn't agree more. I didn't even bother to look at my father, or Ginny. They would only look hurt, and I was afraid that I would take too much pleasure out of their misery. Really, I should have been placed in Slytherin or something. I could be a downright insufferable witch when I wanted to be.

"Cecilia!" Fleur's shocked voice rang out, breaking the momentary silence that hung in the air. It was somewhere between surprise and anger. Fleur's comment didn't bother Cecilia in the least. She simply shrugged her shoulders, and stuck her jaw out in defiance. I knew for certain that my mother wouldn't say anything to me. She'd rather have me suffer with humiliation, then have all the attention land on her, and we both knew that. So basically, I was free to say whatever I wanted, and I wouldn't be scolded or punished by her. I could tell my father how much of an ass he was. How much it hurt to sit by the windows on all my birthdays, waiting for him, just to find out that he was too busy to spend time with his only daughter on the one day that mattered. I could have screamed at him, telling him that he ruined not only my life, but my mother's life, when he cowardly ran away at the alter, instead of marrying her. I could have mention Voldemort, and ruined everyone's dinner, asking him why he had the courage to stand up to someone who was ready to kill him, but didn't have enough courage to marry the mother of his child.

But I didn't. I nodded my head in agreement to Cecilia's statement, and cleared my throat. "Yeah, Cecilia. It does." I said softly, looking into her eyes. I gave her a warm smile, and licked my bottom lip. I was about to stop. I had calmed myself down and everything, until I saw Ginny smirking in my mother's direction. What was that all about? Miss Ginny Weasley smirking at my mother? Oh, no. Now she was playing in some dangerous territory.

Instead of taking my seat, like I had planned to do, I walked around the table, and sat on the table in front of Ginny. Oh the little wench was shocked all right when I slid my butt on the table right next to her left arm. I was situated between Harry and her, a smirk playing on my face. Harry, who had known to read my body language by now, sensed trouble. He rubbed his hand over his face, and shook his head. I held out my hand to Ginny and smiled innocently, waiting for her to take it.

Slowly, as if she didn't trust me, Ginny reached out and shook my hand, a look of utter confusion on her face. That reaction only caused my smirk to become a bit more larger, and my glare to ease up a bit. Defeating Ginny Weasley would be like taking candy from a baby.

"Welcome to the Potter family, my dear!" I said in a sickly sweet voice. Everyone was taken aback by this action, as if they actually expected my welcome to be sincere. Gross!

"I believe I should just tell you a few things about dearest Harry here, understand?" I asked her, putting one hand on my father's shoulder, and another on hers.

I waited for her to shake her head, before continuing on.

"You see, my father isn't like most men. No, no." I shook my head to emphasize the point, clear amusement swimming in my voice. "You see, he likes his brides fat. A bit too fat. So, what he does is he has some hot, steamy sex, and then he gets his brides-to-be pregnant. Then he's perfectly happy for a few months, while he gets to sleep in the same bed with a fat woman. Then, when you're wedding day comes, he'll just jog off on you, leaving you completely humiliated and alone. Then you'll have to deliver your baby all by yourself, without anyone to help you to support it. Oh, and if your really lucky, he'll come to your child's birthdays."

That was a bit more brief then I had planned it to be, but it got the point across. I was glaring at Harry when I finished, and Ginny gave me a repulsed look. I was sure that she hated me by the end of the speech. I had not only embarrassed her, but her precious Harry as well.

Leaning down to whisper in my ear, she hissed something that I hadn't expected. "Maybe Harry would have shown up to some of your birthdays, if he hadn't had a brat for a daughter like yourself. And by the way, I'm going to be your step-mother. Just keep that in mind before you go on and say anything else to me that you'll regret." I had to admit, I was a bit shocked by this sudden mean stroke to Ginny. Out of the seventeen years I'd known her, I never thought she had it in her to act so rude. It was quite admiring, really, and I would have praised it, if it had been in any other situation.

"Is that so?" I asked rather loudly, hopping off of the table quickly. She smiled widely, thinking that she intimidated me in some weird way.

"Well let me tell you this bi-, I mean Ginny, I was already brought up, and I quite like the way I turned out. Maybe if my mother hadn't made friends like you, Harry wouldn't have even knocked her up like the insensible prat he is!" I ended this in a screech, and walked away, pulling my mother up from her seat. Her face was red, and she was clearly humiliated. But she still didn't say anything. I turned to Molly and gave her a smile.

"Thanks for everything. The evening was enjoyable." I stated it as nicely as I could, except the night had been anything but enjoyable. It had been a complete, horrible, mess.

I dragged my mother over to the fireplace, and took some floo powder in my hand. I handed half of it to her, and kept the other half for myself.

"Go on, mum." I insisted gently, pushing her into the fireplace carefully.

She said our address, and then disappeared, as I followed her example and did the same. The only thought that ran through my mind, as I felt a heavy wind picking up around me, was that Ginny Weasley was going down, no matter what the consequences were.

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RAWR, my loves. : )


	5. Diagon Alley

The week went by more or less in the same pattern. I woke up, tried talking to my mother, and spent the rest of the time in my room. My mother did the same. I don't think she left her room for more than ten minutes since we left the Burrow. I felt bad for her. I really did. But she liked taking her feelings out on the world, and that wasn't so wonderful. Especially when I was forced to deal with her all the time.

So by the time Friday rolled around, I was more than willing to leave the house. Hayden called me, and asked me if I wanted to go down to Diagon Alley. I figured I had nothing better to do. What was I going to say? It wasn't like I would rather listen to my mother's incessant crying instead. I accepted his invitation whole heartedly.

Getting ready was a bit of an issue, though. See, I'm not one of those girls who dresses up a lot. I usually wear a pair of baggy jeans and an old tee-shirt. I rarely ever care about my hair. Today was different. Hayden had asked me to go somewhere with him. I couldn't go out looking like a complete slob. And what if he meant it as a date? Sure, I don't like Hayden like that, but how was I supposed to know what he meant? Boys just confused me.

I rummaged through my closet, trying to find something decent to wear. It was a harder task than it seemed, trust me. I settled on a pair of black pants, and a white shirt. The outfit was plain and simple, but had a bit of elegance to it. Ha. Rory and elegance just doesn't seem to fit, now does it? I am the exact opposite of elegant.

All I had to do was wait for Hayden to come and floo my house. The whole time I waited, I sat in front of the mirror, fixing my hair. Honestly, I really don't know why I cared what I looked like. It was just Hayden! We were only friends! Why was I acting like a preteen girl who was trying to look good to impress their crush? It didn't make sense. There was no way I loved Hayden, because love wasn't real.

Hearing a loud bang in the living room, I instantly moved away from the mirror, and ran down the stairs. There was Hayden. Except he didn't look very dressed up. Somewhere inside of me, I felt disappointed. I know I shouldn't have, but I did. He obviously didn't think of this trip to Diagon Alley as a date. Had I really expected him to? I mean, we've been best friends for seven years. Clearly I wasn't thinking properly when I thought that this was more than a friendly get together.

"Um, you look… dressed up." He said to me, instantly pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Well, yeah. I don't want to look ugly now do I?" I asked him, sending him a glare. That was probably the worst comment I ever came up with, but I didn't really care.

"Right…" His reply was soft and barely audible. I figured he had a lot of experience dealing with women. Living with Cho was enough to make anyone crazy. Poor Hayden had three younger sisters to deal with too. So clearly he knew what to say and what not to say. Although, if you ask me, he was clueless half of the time.

"Let's just go." I stated, frustrated, pulling his arm into the fireplace. I took floo powder, said 'Diagon Alley', and waited for Hayden to follow me.

He came tumbling out of the fireplace just after I did, an irritated expression on his face.

"You really should try and pass you Apparation test. It would be a lot easier to go places with you."

I just rolled my eyes, and watched as he brushed off some dirt from his pants.

"It wasn't my fault that the guy doing it hated me. I did nothing to him."

Hayden smirked at me, and nudged my arm gently.

"Alright, where to, Rory?"

"Bookstore?" I asked with a pout. He knew that was my favorite place in Diagon Alley. In fact, I'd spend a whole day in there if someone let me. Usually someone had to pull me out of there. I was a bookworm, but I couldn't help it. Blame it on my mother!

"Fine." Hayden gave up, a defeated look on his face, and linked his arm with mine. For some reason the small gesture created butterflies in my stomach. Feeling his arm against mine made me uncomfortable but happy at the same time.

As soon as we reached the bookstore, I grinned, and raced inside of it. Hayden followed me, but at a bit of a slower pace. He really wanted to get to the window display of the brooms. Quidditch was more his style. With parents like Cho and Oliver, how couldn't he grow up to love the sport?

"If you want you can go somewhere else. We'll meet up at the Leaky Cauldron." I suggested, almost hoping he would take me up on that offer. For some reason I liked to be alone when I shopped for books. It was much more personal, and I thought that was how shopping for books should be done. See, if you just pick up any random book from the shelf, then you won't know if you will enjoy it or not. Why waste your money on a book you'll hate to read? That would be pointless and quite stupid. The key to it was time. You had to have time to read the first few chapters of a book. Then, based on what you read, you would be able to tell if the book would be a keeper, or a complete waste of galleons.

"Are you sure? I don't mind staying with you."

"I'm positive." I think I sounded a bit more eager than I had meant because Hayden gave me a suspicious look before walking out of the store.

Now I was finally alone to do some quality book shopping. If I had my way, every single day I'd come to the bookstore and read books. Of course, if I did that the owner would probably catch on and make me pay per hour or something. There was something about bookstores that made me happy. Maybe it was the smell of the new books, or the sea of shelves you could get lost in. I don't really know, but whenever I was in a bookstore, or a library for that matter, I was content.

With a smile on my face, I looked at the books on one shelf, eyeing each carefully. I finally decided on one. It was a classic. I'd probably already read it, but reading a book twice never hurt. So, with the book in hand, I walked over to the wooden bench that sat by the picture window. There wasn't anyone on the bench, so it was a perfect chance to grab it and occupy it. I did just that. I sat down, swung my legs over, and buried my nose in my book. I hated when people would ask to sit down next to you while you were in the middle of reading. It was clearly a distraction. People were so rude sometimes!

After the second chapter, I knew I wanted the book. It was too good to pass up. I was about to go onto the third chapter, when something hit me, and the book flew to the floor. I was about to pick it up, when I saw a black boot step on it, and a cold, shrill laugh. So much for my wonderful bookstore trip.

"Why, _Potter_, fancy seeing you here!" Damnit. I would recognize that sharp voice from anywhere. It was one I learned to despise over my previous six years at Hogwarts. The voice was one I dreaded and one I hoped I would never hear.

"You a stalker now, Malfoy?" I asked sharply, raising my emerald eyes to his steely gray ones. Yes, Donovan Malfoy. Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson's only son. Apparently Pansy got pregnant with Donovan here at the beginning of the war. Draco thought he was going to get killed, so he had to have a heir. And who better to have a baby with than Pansy the cow? She was always willing to open her legs. Unfortunately, Draco didn't die. Instead, he got thrown into jail for a few years. That was basically it, since he hadn't technically killed anyone.

"Don't flatter yourself." Malfoy said, smirking at me. I hated him. No, it was way more than hate. The way he talked was truly disgusting. If you thought I'm bad, then obviously you don't know Donovan. We're in the same year at Hogwarts, so I've gotten to know him way more than I wanted to.

"Well Malfoy, the way you're staring at me kind of makes me think otherwise." I stated with a glare. I made a move to get up, but he put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stay seated.

"My, my, Potter, aren't we fiesty today?"

"Shove it." With ease I pulled away from his shoulder, and started walking away. I heard his two cronies snicker behind a shelf. They weren't even worth my time.

"Oh, Potter?"

"What!" I flung around, my eyes narrowed, and my fists clenched. It was then that I saw the book that I had been reading, placed neatly in his hands.

"Forgetting something? You know, it isn't very nice to drop things and leave them on the floor. I'm sure the shopkeeper wouldn't appreciate that."

Letting out a small sigh of frustration, I grabbed the book out of his hand, and turned back around. This time he grabbed my arm with his hand.

"Let go of me." I stated stiffly, struggling in his grasp slightly.

Without another word, Malfoy dropped my hand, and looked down at the ground. For a split second I thought I recognized a blush gracing his pointy features. I had to have been wrong though. Malfoys just don't blush. And why would he ever blush over something I said?

"Thank you." I spat, venom dripping off of every word. I walked over to the shelf, and deposited the book back to where I had found it. It wasn't worth buying. Not if I had to stay in a store with Malfoy to purchase it.

I shot one last glare in Malfoy's direction, before leaving. I walked over to the window display, and saw Hayden fawning over a Nimbus 2500. Really it was pathetic how in love boys fell with their broomsticks. Half of the boys at Hogwarts called their broom their 'baby'. It was disgusting and quite repulsive.

Hayden saw me, and smiled, before turning his attention back to the broom. It wasn't like the broom was going to get up and start doing tricks! What was so amazing about it? Seeing the crowd gathered around the display only made my frustration grow.

"Can we just go?" I asked softly, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Hayden looked over at me and nodded. I think he sensed something was wrong, so he stayed quiet for a little while, as we walked down the road. We passed numerous stores, all bustling with customers. The sound of them made up for the silence between Hayden and I.

"What happened?" He asked finally. I suppose the silence and his curiosity became unbearable.

"Nothing." It came out more as a whisper than an actual answer.

Hayden just sighed, and put an arm around my shoulder. I felt him squeeze my shoulder gently, and I gave him a small smile.

"I know a place that will cheer you up." He stated with one of his mischievous smiles. When he got that look, it scared me. I raised an eyebrow skeptically, and he led me down the road a ways.

It took me until he stopped in front of a huge shop to see where he had taken me. Of course Hayden would think of bringing me to Fred and George's store. I rolled my eyes playfully, and laughed.

"Brilliant idea." I teased, and followed him inside. Personally, this was my favorite joke store of theirs. They had two others; one in Hogsmeade and one in Scotland. However, they were usually at the one in Diagon Alley. It was where they first started, after all, so it held sentimental value.

I noticed Hayden immediately walk over to the fake wands section, but I didn't follow him. Fake wands weren't for me. I wasn't really into the whole prank thing anymore. I could insult someone a lot better without using pranks at all. Instead I found myself walking over to the Pygmy Puffs. I loved them. My mother, however, didn't. But if she wasn't with me, she wouldn't be able to tell me I couldn't buy one. Childish, I know, but still.

As I was reaching my hand into the cage to get a pink one, I heard a familiar voice. It sounded oddly like my father's. Curiosity got the best of me, and I instantly forgot about the Pygmy Puffs. I followed the sound of the voice, right up until the back room. The door was shut tight, but I could tell that my father was talking to Fred. I know eavesdropping is bad, but I had to do it.

Quietly, I crouched down and put my ear against the door. I could make out their voices perfectly.

"So that's why you did it?"

"Yeah. I mean, Ginny's a great girl. This just complicated things."

"Harry…" Fred paused, and I could hear him sigh. "If you don't love my sister then don't marry her."

"I do love her. I don't want to make the same mistake I made seventeen years ago."

"I realize that. But if you're only marrying her because she's pregnant, then you'll just end up hurting her more than you're helping her."

"I need to do this. If she's going to have a baby, I want to be in its life. This time I want to do things right."

"WHAT!" The scream came out of my mouth before I realized what I was doing. Pregnant? Baby? Ginny! The words I heard were swimming in my head. This just couldn't be happening. I was only joking with what I said to Ginny at the Burrow. Harry was a pig. A gross, disgusting pig.

It was then that the door swung open to reveal a surprised looking Fred, and a pale looking Harry.

"Rory…" Fred attempted to say something. I cut him off though. Without even realizing it, I was crying. The last time I cried was when I fell off a broom when I was five.

"Let me…"

"No." I stated in a broken voice. Then I ran away. I didn't want to look at my father. I didn't even want to be in the same country as him. I just had to get out of that store. Without telling Hayden where I was going, I left, and walked straight into Knockturn Alley…

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	6. A Riddle

**Disclaimer:** Hey, guess what?I still own _nothing._

**A/N:** Thank you to all of you faithful reviewers. I love reading your reviews. They make me happy. : ) I appreciate those of you who bother to write a review for me and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Things have been a little crazy, so I haven't been able to update this as much as I'd have liked. Hopefully I'll get a little better at updating it regularly.

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Knockturn Alley was known for its shadiness. Everyone in England knew that only dark magic was performed there. It was a dangerous place. A place that any stranger would not want to go in, expecting to feel welcomed. I had never actually been to Knockturn Alley before. I heard rumors about it, and my mother warned me multiple times on what would happen to me if I even considered venturing inside of it. I just never imagined exactly how dark and creepy the place actually was.

Dark and creepy were actually understatements. The place was full of witches and wizards, bent over from old age, trying to pick your pockets, and sell you trash off of the streets. No one there looked even remotely familiar. I got that familiar feeling of regret well up inside of me. Of course I never thought about my actions before I did something. I never was exactly wonderful at thinking things through.

My mind told me to turn around and head back to the twins' shop. However my feet just weren't keen on that idea. They kept going, leading me through long, narrow, cobble-stoned alleyways. Even the temperature was different here. In Diagon Alley, a nice warm breeze floated through the air. Here it was cold. It was summer, but it felt like winter in Knockturn Alley. Everything was darker here too. I don't think the sun ever found its way into this place.

"Lost, my pretty?" I turned my head abruptly, in the direction of this strange new voice. It was the first person that actually stopped to talk to me. Others just gawked, and tried to get their slimy hands into my pockets. No one had actually bothered to say anything.

"N-no." I winced at how pathetic and small my own voice sounded in my ears. Moments when I'm unsure of myself are rare, and I never stutter. Rory Potter just doesn't do that! She keeps herself calm, cool, and collected. But this day was just full of surprises, now wasn't it?

"Well then, dear, what's a young girl like you doing out in a place like this?" The grin that crossed the old woman's face, sent a shiver straight up my spine. It isn't like I'm afraid of people. I'm pretty brave. Not brave like my parents were, but I usually use sarcasm or wit for my self defense mechanism. Something about this lady just threw me off completely. She seemed innocent and nice enough. But she was dirty. I don't judge a book by its cover. I never had. The woman had dirt swept all across her face, and it was tangled into her gray hair. Her appearance was anything but appealing. Her hands were wrinkled, and showed their age without hesitation. One of them was wrapped securely around a cane, which the other clung to a ripped shawl that hung messily around her shoulders. It looked more like a burlap bag then an item of clothing.

"I…" What was I doing? I didn't have to answer this lady! Plus, if my mother found out about this, I would probably never be able to leave my house again. Giving her one last look, I hurriedly walked away. I refused to look back. I figured it was like an animal; if you look back at it, it'll follow you. There was no chance I wanted that woman following me. Who knew what she was capable of doing?

After I was a safe distance away from where she was, I stopped, and looked around at my surroundings. I had no idea as to where I was. I had been through so many passageways, that I couldn't just turn back and retrace my footsteps. This was bad. Panic slowly started to take hold of me. I was stuck in this awful place, with no one, no money, and I didn't have my wand. Yes, this was definitely a situation that wasn't looking too good. The only thing on my side was my father. Actually, I never thought that I would ever say that in my life. My father knew that I had run from the store. He didn't know _where_ I ran to, exactly, but surely he had some brains in him somewhere. So as long as he knew that I had left, he would come and find me. Right? I certainly hoped so.

I didn't know what to do. If I just sat there on the ground, I could be found more easily. However, if I just sat there, then someone could just come by and kill me or something. I wouldn't put it past this place. The people that live here, if that's even what they call it, are so sinister, that I wouldn't doubt it if they tortured passersby for a living.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't have to think about what I was going to do for very long. Before I had time to react, a hand covered my mouth, and someone pulled me into a straw hut behind a few buildings. Yes, that's exactly how it happened. Or that's how I remembered it, anyways. To be truthful, I don't think I'd ever been so afraid in my life. I had no idea who my captor was, and my heart was beating a mile a minute. No wonder why my mother told me never to come here. I thought she was just trying to intimidate me. Who knew it was actually for my own good?

"Look who we have here." The person who had grabbed me had let go, and turned me around to face the speaker. He was a boy, no older than me, with dark brown hair. His eyes were slit dangerously, and burned a deep black. If the hut hadn't been so poorly lit, then I would have been able to see a snake behind him. I didn't though, which was probably for the best.

"_Miss Potter_." The name was spoken with so much venom and distaste, that I nearly recoiled at the sound of it. Whoever this boy was, he clearly knew me, and clearly didn't like me all that much. It probably had something to do with my father. My stupid father. What could he have possibly done now to make this boy hate me so much?

"I suppose I should introduce myself. I never was one for manners, though. I say we play a little game, yes?" The tone of his voice was precariously low, daring me to contradict him.

My eyes grew wide in fear and they darted to the door. I tried to reason out an escape. Although I wasn't good at Quidditch, I wasn't a bad runner. I might have been able to make it. If I didn't, I knew that the boy wouldn't be very pleased. So what was I to do?

"Don't even think about it, sweetheart." He hissed, walking over to me. He trailed one of his cold fingers against my jaw line, and fixed me with a glare. "You'd never make it out alive, anyways." The way he spoke terrified me. My body was trembling, and I was positive that all the color had drained from my face. I wanted to come up with some caustic reply, to throw him off, even just a little, but no words managed to escape my mouth. I simply looked at him, with horror written all over my face.

"Now, let's begin, shall we?"

I blinked my eyes, but made no attempt to answer him. It was then that I realized he meant business. He came over to me, lifted my chin up, and pulled on my hair. The pull wasn't horrible, but it made me open my mouth.

"Yes." I murmured softly, closing my eyes to stifle the new tears that had formed from the hair pull.

"Very good." He barked, sneering at me evilly, finding satisfaction in my discomfort. "I'm the son of your father's worst nightmare. I'm the son of the man who your father attempted to kill on numerous occasions, but failed. Well, that is until the last battle, of course. Harry Potter managed to kill my father, but he won't manage to save you. I've come for revenge."

As his words registered in my brain, more tears leaked out of my eyes. "Riddle?" I whispered, in a barely audible voice.

"Very good, sweetheart."

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